Our Today
by K.R. Saks
Summary: "We've fought clowns and solved riddles and saved cities from being turned into popsicles together. But now you're telling me you can't even trust me? The mathlete in me cannot abide by that serious fail in logic." In which a hostile situation in Gotham Academy brings to light just how fragile trust can be, even among the most dedicated of young superheroes.
1. Riddles and Clowns

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the familiar characters from Young Justice!

* * *

**Our Today**

_Chapter 1: Riddles and Clowns_

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Artemis heard the distinct sound of safeties clicking off before she saw the men.

If she had been any other student, she probably wouldn't even have paid attention to the faint shuffle of footsteps and the sound of metal on metal. But as it was, she had been raised in a household that had yielded three convicts, so the sound of weaponry was second-nature to her.

The only surprising aspect about the situation was that she apparently wasn't the only one who had realized the imminent danger they were in.

Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne's bratty little ward and snooty rich kid, who had single-handedly filled Gotham Academy's Mathlete Club case with trophy after trophy, couldn't have possibly been able to differentiate a gun from a pencil.

And yet he was the only other student who had immediately snapped to attention, eyes trained on the doorway, where not a moment later, two masked men appeared, armed with a rifle and a pistol.

Goon #1 raised his pistol and shot once into the air. "Everybody get down! _Now_!"

Screams permeated the classroom and there was a mad scramble as everyone struggled to cram themselves under their desk. Artemis fluidly slid down between the four legs of her table and quickly surveyed the situation. It was Pre-Calculus, which meant there was nothing even halfway lethal for her to utilize… nothing except for maybe a protractor or a compass, both of which she did not even have on her person.

One of the girls in the far right corner suddenly burst into tears, causing Goon #1 to fire another shot. This time, the bullet wedged itself in the wall right next to the girl's desk. Artemis wasn't sure whether the goon had aimed to miss or whether he was just that terrible at shooting.

"Shut the hell up, you annoying little brat," the second man snarled. Artemis secretly identified him as Goon #2. "You cry one more time and I'm gonna blow your pretty little brains out. You hear me?"

A very loud sniffle was his response.

Goon #1 spun around and slammed the door shut, clicking the lock into place. Goon #2 took this opportunity to patrol the perimeter of the classroom. The room was shaped like a rectangle and their desks were arranged in a four by five configuration. Artemis' desk just happened to be smack dab in the center of the other tables, which offered her some protection from the goons' prying eyes. But what could she do at that moment? Her extra bow and arrows were stashed behind the tall bushes in the courtyard…

Their teacher, Professor Dolores Wilton, finally chose this moment to speak up. But she was an aged woman who looked like she was born and bred in high English society, and could barely be expected to get her dress dirty, much less prevent a couple of criminals from hurting the children.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, her accent thick and posh. "You cannot just barge in here and-" Her breath escaped her in a light gasp and she crumpled to the floor, knocked out cold by a fist to the jaw.

Artemis would've rolled her eyes if this had been any other time and place. How stupid could the woman be?

"Good riddance," Goon #1 spat. He eyed the knocked out woman with distaste. "I should just shoot her. One less problem in the world."

"You can't, remember?" Goon #2 rolled his eyes and shoved his partner roughly. "Idiot. Our orders were to have no casualties until backup arrives. Stick to the plan."

Artemis processed this information thoughtfully. Well, that was new. No casualties allowed… and this had been an order from above. It was starting to sound more and more like those "students taken hostage at a local private school" news broadcasts she had watched when she was a kid. She had never thought she'd ever have to experience something like this, mostly because she wasn't a rich kid and because in the back alleys where she lived, all gun enthusiasts had a shoot first, ask questions later policy.

She wanted to slam her head against the floor. Now that she had accepted the scholarship, she had unwittingly joined the rest of Gotham's rich and famous. She knew she shouldn't have agreed to come to Gotham Academy, if only to save herself some grief.

Most of the students were shaking from the fear at this point. Some of the braver ones had cautiously peeked their heads out to see what the goons were doing, but others were cowering under their desks. Artemis felt a pang when she saw their helpless faces. She was a member of Young Justice, damn it. She had to do something. The girl behind her had already broken down into silent sobs.

She was still wracking her brains for the next course of action when she heard furious typing in front of her. She ducked around the legs of her desk to see Dick Grayson hunched over under his desk, fingers flying across the keypad on his cell phone. He didn't seem to be aware of the men at all; instead, his brows were furrowed in concentration as he stared at the tiny screen.

Artemis blinked. Was he texting Bruce Wayne?

The sound of the keys clacking had apparently alerted the men to the source as well. Goon #2 stormed over, and with one hand, easily yanked Grayson up by his suit jacket. The man took one look at the phone still clutched in Grayson's left hand and let out a loud roar, slamming the boy violently against the wall.

Artemis winced when she heard Grayson's head crack against the bricks that formed the walls of the school, and from the brief grimace that he had failed to hide, she knew it had to hurt. The force of the shove had knocked his phone out of his hand, sending it spinning across the polished floor.

Goon #2 lifted Grayson higher until they were face-to-face. "Shrimpy little brat," he snarled, spittle flying. "Who were you texting?"

Grayson blinked, full of innocence. "What are you talking about? What texting?"

Another slam against the wall. This time, Grayson had to visibly struggle to refocus. Artemis was suddenly worried that he'd have a concussion from all this manhandling.

"Don't play me for a fool, _kid_." He shoved his gun into Grayson's temple, earning gasps from the other students in the classroom. "One more snarky comment and I'll blow your brains out."

Grayson chuckled, but it looked like he was only half-focused. "Sorry, you used that threat already. Try again."

Goon #2 roared. "You son of a-"

Artemis was suddenly on her feet. "Don't touch him!"

All eyes turned towards her. She swallowed and had to mentally check herself. She was only Artemis Crock, the scholarship student right now. But she had to do _something_. She would never have been able to live with herself if she had just stood there and let some goon blow the Wayne kid's brains out.

Goon #2 lowered his grip on Grayson slightly, but he still didn't release the boy. His attention was focused entirely on her now. "What did you say to me, little girl?"

She steeled herself. "Put him down. No casualties, remember? You don't want to disappoint the big man upstairs."

Out of her peripheral, she saw that Goon #1 was slowly making his way over to the spectacle now. He had been standing guard by the door, but now the doorway was clear. If only one of her fellow students was brave enough to make a mad dash towards it…

Goon #2 released Grayson from his grasp, sending the latter crashing towards the floor. Artemis knew she had done it now. She had successfully removed the attention from Grayson onto herself, but now what? She mentally cursed herself for not thinking three steps ahead.

"What was that?" Goon #2 was approaching her, a disgusting sneer on his chapped lips. "Did I just hear you threaten me, darling?"

"Crock…" Grayson was holding his head with his right hand, but his attention was focused on her. "Step away."

She stared at him, and Goon #2 had stopped his advances to look at Grayson as well. "What?"

His dark blue eyes suddenly sharpened. "Step away from the window!" With a startling surge of power, he launched himself at her, knocking her to the side just as the window right above their heads shattered.

Glass shards flew apart from the impact and Goon #2 let out a loud roar when the broken pieces implanted themselves into his face and his unshielded eyes. He fell back from the momentum and crashed into the nearest desk, sending the rest in that row toppling over like an unfortunate set of dominoes.

Grayson quickly pulled himself off of her and grabbed her arm, yanking her over to the side behind a large cabinet. A furious streak of yellow and red was darting around the classroom, and Artemis watched as Goon #1 was seemingly smacked in the head with his own rifle, rendering him unconscious in the blink of an eye.

The classroom door flew open with a laugh.

Artemis couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Freakin' Baywatch."

There was movement next to her, and she was suddenly reminded of the fact that Grayson had saved her life… or rather, had saved her from a lot of unnecessary bodily harm, which was something that he himself had not been spared from.

"Baywatch?" he asked.

Artemis turned to look at him, and noticed with a surge of worry that there was blood dotting his hairline. "You're bleeding," she said, rather stupidly.

Grayson touched his temple, his fingers coming away red. He grimaced a little, but shrugged it off otherwise. "Looks like it. It's okay though, nothing I'll die from."

"You could have a concussion," Artemis couldn't help but point out, and then wondered why she even cared so much. She and Grayson barely interacted on a daily basis, and even if they did, it was to borrow a pencil or for her to ask him the answer to one of their homework problems.

He seemed to be fighting back a smile. "I could," he responded cryptically, but said nothing more.

She gazed at him strangely, but didn't get a chance to analyze him further. One of their fellow students who had finally crawled out from under the table was pointing towards the doorway with a shaking finger.

"Was that… was that _Flash_?" he sputtered.

"Get your eyes checked, McFlaggen. Didn't you see the yellow? That was obviously Kid Flash."

"What is _Kid Flash _doing here in Gotham? Where's Batman? Where's Robin?"

Artemis was looking at her fellow classmates with a sense of dread. Why did no one have common sense anymore? They had been held hostage and now the door was open. Why was _RUN _not on anyone's list?

Next to her, she heard Grayson chuckle. "Now isn't that just the question of the day."

"What?" she asked, shocked. Had he heard her thoughts?

"Where _are _Batman and Robin?" His blue eyes glittered, almost as if he knew something the rest of the world didn't.

Artemis' head was beginning to hurt. She didn't have _time _for this. Yes, she wanted to know where the League was, but she needed to get out of here first and retrieve her bow and arrows. Only then would she finally feel like herself.

"Okay, that's it." She pushed herself up and ignored Grayson, who had stood up with her. She raised her voice. "Everyone get out. Now! Stop dawdling! We don't want these goons to wake up."

Her voice seemed to shock the students out of their stupor. There was a moment's pause as everyone tried to assess the situation… and then they all stampeded out of the classroom in a loud, messy herd. Artemis yanked on her ponytail in angst. And these were supposed to be the smartest kids in Gotham. She needed a serious break.

Speaking of smartest kids… she quickly glanced back next to the cabinet and found that Grayson was no longer there. He had probably scampered out of the classroom with the rest of their schoolmates while Artemis had been distracted.

She stepped foot outside the classroom and glanced left and right of the empty hallway. There were no students in sight, but… was that _gas _coming from the men's restroom? She assessed the steadily approaching gray-green fog with trepidation, and her brain clicked on not a moment too soon. She gasped and forcibly threw herself back into her Pre-Calculus classroom, barely managing to kick the door shut before the gas pervaded the rest of the hallway.

Her heartbeat was thudding loudly in her ears, but it did nothing to stifle the raucous guffaws that seeped through the walls. She could hear the uncontrollable laughter, tinged with just the right dose of insanity.

It was the Joker's laughing gas.

But what was the _Joker _doing here? Last she heard, he was safely behind bars in Arkham Asylum. Artemis pushed herself up and pressed her ear to the door in a vain attempt to hear anything more. The hallway was silent. She didn't dare open the door yet in case the gas had yet to dissipate… but how many students had died out there in that hallway?

She had no way of knowing whether this was the lethal version of the laughing gas or not, but Robin had mentioned before that lengthy exposure could cause permanent brain damage. She mentally cursed herself. She needed to get out of the classroom. _Now_. Without her bow and her arrows, she was virtually useless. But she was stuck on the fourth floor of the academy, a height even she couldn't jump and hope to survive the fall without breaking a bone.

How would she get down there?

The answer came in the form of a clank and then the loud swoosh of a cape. Artemis spun around to see none other than Robin perched on the windowsill, a green backpack in his hands.

He smirked when he saw the look of recognition and relief on her face. "Happy to see me?"

She rushed over and grabbed the backpack from his hands, opening it to reveal her costume, her collapsible bow, and her sheath of arrows. She didn't think she had ever been so happy to see anything in her life.

"You got it for me!" She paused, something suddenly occurring to her. "Wait, how did you know where my hiding spot was?"

Robin shrugged and spread his hands. "I'm a detective, remember? I make it my business to know everything."

If this were any other time and place, Artemis would've socked him. But even she knew how dire the situation was. She ushered Robin to turn around and quickly hid behind a large supply cabinet so she could change into her costume.

"What's going on out there?" she asked while she tore off her school uniform. "Is the rest of the League here? How bad is this?"

Robin's voice was steady, as always, but she could detect an underlying tone of worry. "So far, only Young Justice is here. I've already called Batman, but the majority of the League had already been dispatched to the West Coast. There's apparently an alien invasion that hit California, so the majority of them are over there. Black Canary and Red Tornado are guarding the Watchtower right now."

Artemis moved over to Robin, costume in place and mask set. She felt a whole lot better with her arrows strapped to her back. "I think the Joker may be behind this." She shook out her bow and the segments snapped into place. "There was laughing gas in the hallway… I don't know how many students were affected."

Robin shook his head, his masked eyes narrowing in frustration. He turned to look at her as if to check that she had everything, and then without warning, he looped an arm around her waist and jumped out the fourth-story window. Artemis' scream was barely out of her throat when he spun around and shot his grapple gun towards the wall of the building, slowing their descent till they were safely to the ground.

He released her waist. "Every time," he laughed. "You freak out _every single time_. When are you gonna accept that I know what I'm doing?"

Artemis scowled and shoved him away. "I don't think I'll ever accept that." She had an arrow sheathed already and was scouting the premises, but she felt an odd sort of wetness on her hands. She glanced down and nearly had a panic attack. It was blood. Was she bleeding? A quick check confirmed that she had not been injured, which meant Robin had been…

"What happened?" she demanded, showing him her hand. "Where are you hurt?"

Robin shook off her concern with his typical "I'm fine, don't worry," and was already booting up his holographic computer from his gauntlet. Artemis glanced at his screen briefly and saw that he was hacking into Gotham Academy's security system, no doubt to leverage the numerous security cameras on the premises. She glanced away from his screen to assess his person… which was when she saw the gauze wrapped around the circumference of his head. The gauze was black, which was why she hadn't noticed it in the first place, but that meant he had a head wound. A quick check confirmed her suspicions when she saw a thin line of blood trickling down the side of his face.

She must've accidentally touched it when he had suddenly carried her out the building. Her concern multiplied.

Robin _always _did this. It was that stupid Bat training. Never show weakness, never show pain, never overreact to anything. She hated it when he brushed things off like it was nothing. There could've been a huge hole in his stomach and he still would've said it was nothing but a scratch.

_Miss M,_ Robin's telepathic voice suddenly entered her head. _Are we linked?_

M'gann's response was instant. _Yes! Where are you guys? Superboy and I are at the front gate and things aren't looking very good over here. _

Aqualad's voice came on. _Kid and I are at the back. We think the Joker's here. A lot of students have fainted already._

_Or are dead,_ Kid Flash added.

Artemis wanted to punch him. _Really, Baywatch? Cynical much?_

_Hey, it's true! We can't get close enough to check because the gas is still there. _

_Not dead, _Robin confirmed. He was typing away again. _I got close enough to the gas to sample it earlier. Non-lethal. _

M'gann sounded slightly breathless. _Are you sure it's the Joker? I thought he was still in Arkham._

Robin looked at Artemis, and she could see his brows furrow. "I thought so too," he muttered. He tapped something on his holographic keyboard and three images popped up. Artemis recognized them as different shots of the school grounds, taken from the security cameras stationed around the campus, but what she saw made her blood turn cold.

Clowns. A _lot_ of clowns.

She heard Robin curse under his breath. "How is this even possible?"

"Someone should notify the Gotham police," Artemis said.

Robin shook his head and tapped away from the current screens. He motioned her forward until they were crouched behind a statue of Bruce Wayne, hidden from passersby's eyes but with a clear view of the front gate. Artemis peeked out and felt a wrench in her gut when she counted ten masked men surrounding a horde of Gotham students. She lost count at forty.

"The Joker didn't escape." Robin's voice suddenly snapped her out of her thoughts, and she peered over at the blue screen. It looked like she was looking at a security camera that was centered on Joker's cell. The Joker was sitting on the cot, laughing to himself about a joke that only he could hear.

Her brows furrowed. "Are you sure no one set the camera on loop?"

"I'm certain. I would've detected traces of a hacking otherwise. This is the current feed." He absently touched his head, wincing a little when he made contact with the wound. "It must be an imposter. But _why_?"

_Hey uh, Rob? Little Miss Priss? Hope I'm not interrupting some lovey-dovey moment, but we kinda need some help over here. _

Artemis scowled. _What did you just call me?_

Robin barely suppressed a laugh and rested a hand on her arm. "Fight now, argue later." He shut down the computer on his gauntlet and stood up, but Artemis caught his arm before he was able to move forward.

He looked at her questioningly. "Artemis?"

"Robin…" She touched the gauze wrapped around his hair gingerly. "What happened? How did you get hurt?"

He sighed and gently removed her hovering hand. "I wasn't paying attention and some guy kicked me in the head. I was knocked into the wall." He grinned then. "Don't worry though. I've got a thick skull."

"We'll see about that now, won't we?"

Artemis spun around, an arrow already notched and ready to fire. The eerie voice echoed across the grounds, sending a small shiver down her back. Robin was holding a batarang, but from the look on his face, it didn't seem like he knew where the voice was coming from either.

"Who are you?" she yelled. "Show yourself!"

"_I kept your secrets, have guarded your ideas… I am the vessel of your nightmares, the protector to your fears."_

Robin tensed, which made Artemis feel doubly panicked.

"_I'm smiling when you're weeping, I'm smiling when you're dead._"

_Do you guys hear that? Who is that? _Kid Flash's voice sounded panicked. _Why does he sound so creepy?_

For the first time in a long while, Robin looked stumped. "It can't be…"

Artemis looked at him. "What can't it be?"

"_I'm with you when you're sleeping, I'm the horror in your head…_" There was a loud chuckle. "_What am I? I am…_"

_Oh for God's sake, _Kid Flash mentally cried. _How're we supposed to know?_

Robin's lips were pressed into a thin, tight line. He made eye contact with Artemis. "A skull."

Her mouth parted and she felt her stomach fill with dread.

Robin's mental voice confirmed her worry. _The Riddler is here._

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**Author's Note: **Hello there! I stumbled across Young Justice on Netflix and fell in love with the show. Couldn't help but try my hand at some creative writing revolving our favorite young heroes. Hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think!


	2. Edward Nigma

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the familiar characters from Young Justice!

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**Our Today**

_Chapter 2: Edward Nigma_

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There was a pause as everyone tried to take in the situation… and then Kid Flash's mental voice cut in through the silence, loud and panicked. Artemis could practically sense him spinning around in frightened circles.

_Ohmygodohmygodohmygod_ _the Riddler is here _too?! _Rob, get a hold on your villains!_

Robin made a noise of disbelief. _They're not _my _villains_.

_We're in Gotham! This is your freakin' city! You don't see any of Central City's bad guys walking free, do you?_

Superboy sounded nonplussed and irritated. _Since when did we have time to lay claim to villains? Shouldn't we be destroying them instead?_

_Not my fault if Kid Loser here gets too attached to his evildoers_.

_Shut up, Rob._

Artemis rubbed her temples. _Seriously, people? Can we be any more immature?_

But to her horror, Artemis felt herself shaking. Technically there shouldn't have been any reason for her to feel so distraught. She was _from _Gotham, for God's sake. But that also didn't mean the Joker didn't frighten her out of her wits. She had, during incredibly unfortunate times, wandered into an alley where she had seen the dead men with their eerie smiles. The Joker was omnipresent, and his effect was gut-wrenching.

And now The Riddler was here as well…

M'gann's voice popped into her mind. _I can't believe there are two Gotham villains here right now. What should we do? Call for backup?_

_No, I do not think backup will arrive in time. _There was a pause as Aqualad stopped to consider the next course of action. _Miss Martian, can you make yourself invisible and scan the rooftops? I have reason to believe the Riddler is hiding there._

_Sure thing_, she said, and then mentally cut out.

Artemis looked at Robin, feeling just the slightest bit uneasy. "Now what?"

His lips were pursed in a thin tight line as he assessed the situation. It looked like he was thinking hard about something, and Artemis was willing to bet that a situation like this had yet to plague the Boy Wonder. Who would have expected two of Gotham's high profile villains to appear simultaneously? And in Gotham Academy no less.

"Now… we wait."

She blinked. "What? We wait?"

"Yes, we wait." He tucked the batarang back into his utility belt and booted up his gauntlet again. "Miss M should have news fairly quickly. The Riddler isn't hiding."

"But the Joker is," Artemis pointed out. "We haven't seen hide or hair of him since this whole shebang went down. He's never been known for subtlety. Why now?"

"That's what I want to know." Robin had pulled up the blueprints of the academy, something that Artemis wasn't even aware he had. Although now that she thought about it, she didn't think there was anything Robin didn't have.

He was scanning through the blueprint at breakneck speed, almost as if he knew exactly where every classroom and every café was. It was scary that Robin was so familiar with the campus… and the realization made Artemis' heart skip a beat. Why hadn't she thought about this before? Gotham was Robin's city, and Robin was just a kid. Whatever identity he took during the day had to be that of a kid. And kids had to go to school. With the amount of money Batman had at his disposal, there was no reason why he couldn't afford to send Robin to the best school Gotham had to offer.

Robin suddenly spoke, startling Artemis out of her reverie. "I can't detect him."

She struggled to bring herself back to the conversation at hand. "Who? The Joker or the Riddler?"

"The Riddler." He lifted his head to look at her. "The Joker can't be here, remember? I saw him in his cell. But I'm using a sound wave detector right now to pinpoint any vibrations in the air that could have come from the Riddler, but I'm not getting a reading on anything. I need him to talk again."

Aqualad's voice suddenly entered their heads. _Robin, Artemis, Kid and I are coming to you right now. _

Robin shook his head. _No, stay put. We need to have coverage on all sides. _

He sounded grim. _I think we're safer together. I haven't heard anything from Miss Martian in a while, and that worries me. _

_Well, at least we still have our-_

And as quickly as Kid Flash's voice came on, it cut off. There was an uncomfortably numbing silence in Artemis' head, and despite the situation, she briefly marveled at the human body's ability to adapt. Just two short months ago, she would've balked at the idea of having another voice in her head besides her own. Now she had five other voices, and she found herself missing their presence when access was removed.

Robin threw his head back with a loud groan. "Miss M's been taken," he said. His voice was matter of fact, almost as if he had been expecting this conclusion long ago.

Artemis could feel herself trembling. "Maybe she just flew out of range?"

"Miss M wouldn't do that. Besides, there is no place on this campus that's far enough for her to fly out of range."

A huge gale of wind suddenly blew in, bringing with it a very ill-looking Aqualad who was quickly set on his feet. Despite the circumstances, Robin let out a loud chuckle, his mood seeming to dramatically improve with Kid Flash's presence.

"You look greener than Miss M, Aqualad," he commented with a smirk. "What's got your stomach doing flips?"

"A very unreliable source of transportation," he responded dryly.

Kid Flash, who had been making a big show of dusting himself off, scowled. "Hey, way to be grateful! The way I see it, I saved your life. Any slower and we would've all become dead men laughing."

Robin rolled his eyes. "That doesn't even make sense."

"You know what I mean! It's an idiom."

"Actually, I don't."

"Rob!"

"Yes?"

Aqualad chose this moment to physically step in between the two, his voice reflecting the severity of the situation. "Where is Miss Martian? And Superboy?"

Artemis started. "Superboy?" Come to think of it, she hadn't heard from him in a while either.

Kid Flash let out a little yelp. "Oh snaps! Supey probably went after Miss Beautiful the moment her signal cut out."

Robin's finger was immediately on his ear, and the extra communicator they wore clicked on. "Superboy, come in."

There was silence… and then static.

Aqualad looked at Robin, his brows knitted. "What does the static mean?"

"He still has it, but he's not responding for whatever reason." He started then, as if an idea had just come to him. His hand flew back to his ear. "SB! SB, if you can hear me, please yell."

Kid Flash yanked Robin's arm down with finesse. "Dude, what are you doing? You can't tell him to yell if he's in a compromising situation!"

Robin wrenched his arm away. "If he's not responding then it probably means he's already been compromised. I have a sound wave detector. It'll bring us to their location."

Kid Flash stepped back. They waited in trepidation as the silence rang on, and then, right when they were losing hope of receiving any form of a response, they heard an enraged scream that was too loud and angry to belong to anyone who wasn't Superboy.

Kid Flash blinked. "Well… his anger management issues are put to good use for once."

"Don't let him hear you say that. You may not live to tell the tale."

"Shut up, Rob."

Aqualad motioned them forward. "I would say we found Superboy, but I'm not sure 'found' is the best way to describe the situation," he said dryly. "Robin, can you help us track his location?"

The Boy Wonder was already typing fastidiously on his gauntlet. "Working on it."

Kid Flash scratched his head. "Maybe we could text Supey?"

"Really?" Artemis rolled her eyes. "Is that the best idea you have? After that kind of screaming, I hardly think he's in any position to respond to a text." She paused and thought for a moment. "Actually, I don't think he even owns a cell phone."

"Hey, it sounds stupid, but that stuff works," he said defensively. "I, for one, respond to texts just like that." He snapped his fingers.

She rolled her eyes and did a quick sweep around the perimeter to ensure that there were no changes to the situation. There was none at all. The hostages were still hostages and the clowns were still circling them like rabid hyenas. Artemis was suddenly grateful to whomever had issued the "no shooting" policy.

"Even if someone were in a dire situation, why would they text you?" she finally said.

"Who could possibly be more reliable than the Wall-man?"

She couldn't cover a snicker. "I can't believe you call yourself that. No wonder you can't get a girlfriend."

Robin's voice cut through their banter. "Guys, I think I found him. He's on the roof of the science wing. It's the building on the northern edge of campus." He chuckled then, sounding almost fond. "It figures that he'd stake his claim on the science building."

Aqualad readied his Water-Bearers. "Team, let's rendezvous with Superboy and Miss Martian. If they've been captured by the Riddler, we should have a chance of rescuing them."

"Captured? _Captured_?" There was a distinct sense of righteous indignation in the voice. "Surely you can't mean that. I invite people over with only the _best_ of intentions."

Robin threw his arms out dramatically. "And here's the man of the hour."

The Riddler, with an overly dramatic bow, jumped down from the hovercraft that had miraculously appeared above their heads and landed in a smooth crouch in front of them. Artemis was briefly startled by the Riddler's athletic abilities, and then decided that she had more important things to worry about… things such as the Riddler's appearance and Miss Martian's disappearance.

"Robin, the Boy Wonder! How I've missed you." The Riddler's smile actually looked genuine. Artemis wasn't sure whether to marvel or to find a nice corner to puke her guts out. "Has Gotham been terribly boring while I've been away?"

Robin shrugged and casually clasped his hands behind his back in a nice schoolboy fashion, indicating only the utmost desire of world peace. His smile was full of childish innocence, but even while he was politely inquiring as to how the Riddler's stay in Arkham was, his left hand had found purchase inside his belt and Artemis saw the flashing circular batarang he held between his fingertips.

"Oh it was pleasant, all right." The Riddler smiled toothily, and Artemis felt a shudder run down her back. "Made a few friends and had quite a few nights of heart-to-hearts where we discussed the meaning of life and death and… _happiness_."

Kid Flash was by Artemis' side in a second. "This guy values _happiness_?" he whispered incredulously.

Robin tipped his head. "Happiness?"

"Oh you know… what brings us joy, what keeps life interesting." The Riddler was pacing the concrete now, his gait slow and smooth as if he were a player on a stage. "And… what makes everything worthwhile."

Artemis snorted. "Do we care?"

He turned towards her, and for the first time, he seemed to register that Robin had company. His smile widened as he took in each of the Young Justice members, and then he turned back towards Robin, who continued to look unruffled.

"Looks like you have company now. Whatever happened to dear old Batman?"

Robin smiled. "He's busy. Although I have a feeling you've been keeping tabs on us for a while." He gestured vaguely towards the rooftops. "If you'd be so kind, would you mind returning Miss Martian and Superboy to us? We'd kind of like to have our friends back."

"Oh don't you worry about them. They're having an absolutely wonderful stay aboard my ship. Rest assured, my crew is treating them well."

Artemis bristled at his tone, but Kid Flash was the one who surged forward in anger. "I don't believe you," he spat. "I'm going to count to ten. If you don't return our friends to us by then…"

"Threatening me?" The Riddler clucked his tongue, conveying his disappointment. "I expected better of the Young Justice. Did you learn nothing from your older counterparts? Your _better _counterparts?"

Kid Flash was so angry he was vibrating in place. At the rate things were going, Artemis wouldn't have been surprised if he complete lost control and straight out tackled the man. "I'll show you who's better after I'm done with you!"

Robin grabbed Kid Flash's arm. "Stop talking, KF," he ordered.

The Riddler was smiling widely now. "No dear boy. Let me show _you _who's the better man." He glanced over at the clowns, who had until this point, been watching their interaction with rabid interest. "You'll be sorry."

Aqualad stepped forward. "What-"

The Riddler snapped his fingers, and as if on cue, the clowns snapped to attention. There was a deafening crack in the air as the safeties were clicked off in unison… and then the screams began. It seemed that the "Big Man Upstairs," whom Artemis had so caustically dubbed earlier in the classroom, had finally given the signal.

One girl was wailing particularly loudly, her shrieks cutting through the loud din of terrified students. It seemed the situation was made very clear to them as well. Their time to die was nigh.

"What are you doing?" Aqualad cried.

"What I came here to do all along."

Robin had three batarangs in his hand, but he made no move to use them. "You've proved your point already, Riddler. Tell us your terms. We're not stupid enough to disregard them."

"I don't think I've proved my point just yet."

"And you won't have the chance to!"

Kid Flash spun out of Robin's hold and disappeared from sight. Aqualad shouted for him to wait, but by then he was a mere blur of yellow and red. There were loud cries as guns were knocked out of the clowns' hands, but despite how speedy Kid Flash really was, he wasn't fast enough.

Artemis couldn't believe her eyes. "They're firing! Oh my god, they're firing on the students!"

The bangs came, loud and clear, and for a second Artemis thought for sure she was going to throw up. Never in any of their missions have they tried and failed so miserably. This was turning into a bloodbath.

Artemis felt her stomach twist in anxiety as she took in the fallen students… But wait. Was that her imagination or did she see the rise and fall of a chest?

She turned to Robin, but he was already speaking. "They're not dead." His voice was mixture of awe and relief. "There weren't any bullets in those guns. They're tranquilizer darts."

Aqualad looked shell-shocked. "Well, that's a first."

Kid Flash grinned and let out a loud whoop. "Your jokes are over, Riddler!" he shouted. "We called your bluff! All bark and no bite."

Artemis stared at the fallen figures around them and couldn't help but agree. The guns that the clowns had been carrying, guns that they had all thought were filled with lethal bullets, contained tranquilizer darts instead. Who would've thought?

The infamous Riddler… and it was this easy?

To his credit, he didn't look the least bit concerned. He casually flicked off a piece of lint staining his pristine green suit and smiled a toothy smile. "Temper, temper, Kid Flash. I never claimed to want to hurt anyone. Violence was never my strong suit."

Aqualad shifted, and Artemis saw his arms tense. She had been right… even he thought this was too easy. "If you would please clarify?"

"I like puzzles. I like games." He shrugged. "I like to see the way people think. I never want to harm anyone."

Robin laughed, but the sarcasm was palpable. The Riddler clearly sensed this as well.

"You think I'm kidding? Oh you untrusting fool." He clucked his tongue and swept his arms out in a wide gesture, the dramatic effect no less perfect than that of a natural-born magician. "No matter how many times I've taken you and Batman on a wild goose chase, haven't I given you all the clues you need to solve the riddle?"

Robin shrugged. "Sure. Your point?"

"I never intended to hurt anyone." He pouted. "I just wanted a little fun, but no one seems to understand this about me."

Kid Flash let out a scoff so loud that Artemis wondered if he could piss the Riddler off with his rudeness alone. "Just stop talking. You're the biggest liar I know. Your plans have already been ruined. What more can you do?"

The Riddler looked scarily pleased now. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"What-"

But Kid Flash never got to say anything more. Electric orbs appeared in the air surrounding them, the electric currents forming a tight ring that forced everyone to take a step back. Artemis felt the pressure from the electric field pushing her to the ground, and she struggled to pull her bow up.

She didn't know much physics, but even she knew that if she were able to shoot one of the orbs down, the field would collapse.

She didn't get a chance to though. The orbs spun in rapid succession and clustered around a bewildered Kid Flash. Artemis could see him visibly struggling to vibrate away, but the field forced him down and he let out an enraged yell when he realized he couldn't move.

Robin was by his side in a flash, his batarangs out. He shot them towards the orbs circling above Kid Flash's head, but the resulting explosion sent cords flying out from the destroyed spheres. The ropes spun around Kid Flash so cleanly and efficiently that he looked like an oversized mummy.

Artemis had an arrow notched and ready to fly, but Kid Flash was moving around so furiously that for the first time in a long while, she was worried she would miss.

"Damn it, Baywatch. Stop moving!" she cried.

Kid Flash was wriggling around like a worm now. "Get this thing off of me!"

Aqualad surged forward, but Robin grabbed his arm. "No! Water conducts electricity. You'll fry him!"

Kid Flash's eyes widened and he threw himself around harder. "Nonono! Don't fillet me!"

Robin flipped on his gauntlet. "If there's an electric pulse, the wires have to come from somewhere. If I could just…"

A bolt of electricity separated from one of the orbs and zapped Robin's gauntlet. There was a loud fizzle as the current fried the technology, and Robin let out a loud cry when his gauntlet caught on fire. He managed to rip off the attachment with a yank, but Artemis could see that this skin was now the bright red of a first-degree burn.

The now-useless device clattered to the floor.

"What has neither flesh, bone, nor nail, yet has four fingers and a thumb?" The Riddler pretended to look confused. He tapped his chin. "Now let me see… ahh, a glove! But you don't have one anymore, do you?"

His smile could only be described as sinister.

Robin's hand was pressed to his forearm. "What exactly is it that you want?"

"I just want to play a little game." The Riddler looked rueful now. "I was awfully bored in Arkham, you see."

"What, the Joker wasn't good enough company for you?" Artemis spat. "And here I thought you had learned a thing or two from him."

The Riddler laughed. "Of course I did. But honestly, that guy is…" He looked around conspiratorially, as if the Joker was lurking right around the corner. "A little psycho," he finally whispered. He even made a twirling motion with his forefinger to gesture at his meaning.

Kid Flash had finally stopped squirming on the floor, but his face was red from the suppressed anger. "And you aren't? Oh give me a break! You're as mad as a hatter."

"Oh no, dear boy. I'm even worse."

He snapped his fingers and the cords that were wrapped around Kid Flash began to rise. The door to the hovercraft opened and Kid Flash was deposited inside. Artemis though she could still hear his yells even after he had disappeared from sight.

Aqualad pulled his Water-Bearers out. "We cannot let him get away!" He fired his water beams towards the Riddler, but the latter evaded it like it was child's play.

The Riddler spun around and was met with Robin's fists. Artemis watched as he ducked low so that Robin's hand only barely managed to scrape the back of his jacket. The move caused Robin to stumble, and the Riddler lashed out, sending him rolling to the floor with a well-placed fist to the temple.

"Robin!" Aqualad shouted.

Artemis sprinted forward and sent two arrows flying in tandem. The Riddler batted one away easily and narrowly avoided the second. When he looked at her again, he didn't look pleased.

"Bratty little girl. Didn't your mother teach you not to play with sharp objects?"

She sent another arrow flying. "My mom taught me the opposite."

Aqualad was by Robin's side now, and to Artemis' relief, she saw that he was cognizant and was surveying the situation with narrowed eyes.

The Riddler shook his head. "Oh yes, how could I forget? Tell your mother I say hi." He glanced at his watch then and widened his eyes comically. "Oh me, oh my, look at the time. We're running behind schedule."

Artemis scoffed. "You have a schedule now?"

The Riddler looked surprised that she had even asked the question. "Of course. Every mastermind has a schedule. And he is always on time." He winked and snapped his fingers. "Gotta go now. Places to be, people to see. I'm sure you understand."

He jumped onto the hovercraft and waved. "Bye-bye for now!"

Aqualad let out a loud yell. "Stop!" He shot twin streams of water at the aircraft, but Robin jerked his arm down.

"No, don't!"

"What?"

Artemis aimed her bow. "Let me at him." She let the arrow fly with a snapped precision… and then watched in horror as a very familiar circular batarang knocked her arrow out of the air, sending it clattering to the ground in broken pieces.

Robin was running towards her, but she shoved his arm out of the way when he moved to touch her shoulder. "What the _hell _was that?" she demanded. "Why did you let him get away with Kid Flash?"

She gestured towards the sky, but the aircraft had long disappeared.

Robin shook his head. "We don't know where Miss Martian and Superboy are. We can't just shoot him down. We need him to take us to them."

Aqualad had joined them. "So you used Kid Flash as bait?" Artemis didn't think he had ever sounded so angry at Robin. "That is not what teammates do."

"I put a tracker on him when I tackled him. He can lead us to where the rest of the team is. And maybe we'll be able to find his base too. I have no way of tracking down his signal otherwise." Robin looked a little helpless now. "Whatever technology he's using to mask his aircraft's movement, it's good."

Artemis wanted to yank her hair out. "But we could've rescued Kid Flash and _then_ let the Riddler escape. We didn't need to give up one more person. What's wrong with you, Robin?"

"KF will be fine." His tone sounded a little pleading. "Trust me. I know him. He'll be fine until we rescue him."

"Rescue him with what? Your gauntlet is out of commission."

Robin glanced down at the tender skin on his forearm and winced slightly. "Yeah, but I just need to get to the Batcave. I have spares there." He reached into his utility belt and pulled out another communicator. "Give me a minute and then I can…"

And then to Artemis' surprise, Robin's words trailed off and he wobbled slightly, a move very uncharacteristic of the typically graceful acrobat. She realized with a start then that Robin had been fighting all this time with a head wound… and she had forgotten all about it in the midst of all the chaos.

Aqualad looked at him, concerned. "Are you all right, Robin?"

He was touching the back of his head. "Yeah I'm fine. Just a little dizzy."

Artemis, however, didn't feel quite so fine. "You are not fine," she cut in hotly. "You're bleeding and you're bruised and you don't even have your gauntlet anymore. How does any of this qualify as 'fine'?"

He had the audacity to smirk. "I thought I told you to get traught last time. Forgot how to already?"

She raised her hand to hit him. "Don't be a… _Robin_!"

He collapsed to the floor in a dead faint before she was able to finish the rest of her sentence.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thanks so much for all your support for this story thus far! I'm immensely pleased that the majority of you seem to have liked the first chapter. My apologies that it took so long for me to update this chapter... hopefully I'll be better about it going forward. Nonetheless, happy reading and please let me know what you think!


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